February 10, 2009. Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia
At 08 hours 49 minutes 46 seconds Moscow Time transport cargo vehicle Progress M-66 was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome
as per Mission Program and the commitments undertaken by the Russian side under the International Space Station (ISS) Project.
The launch objective is to deliver onboard the ISS various cargoes, required to keep the station operating in a manned
mode and support crew life-sustaining environment and operating conditions. Reserves of oxygen, air, food products, fuel, consumables, apparatus, equipment, on-board documentation, parcels for crew were launched into orbit from the Earth.
Total cargoes mass is about 2,4 t.
The transport cargo vehicle was inserted into reference near-earth orbit with the following parameters close to design parameters:
inclination of 51,63; minimum altitude of 192,5 km; maximum altitude of 249,6 km; orbital period of 88,62 min.
The space vehicle onboard systems are operating in design modes. The State Commission (A.N. Perminov, the Head of Roscosmos is the Chairman) directed the space vehicle prelaunch processing and launch at Cosmodrome. The Commission took decision on
implementing processing and launch stages based upon the conclusions made by the Technical Management led by V.A. Lopota, the President
of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, General Designer.
The station onboard systems are operating in design modes on the basis of telemetry data and reports made by the ISS-18 Crew. The
station is ready to dock with the space vehicle.
The space vehicle docking is scheduled for February 13, 2009, at 10 hours: 19 minutes Moscow Time.
- RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev is the leading enterprise of the RF rocket and space industry engaged in Human Space Flight Programs, responsible for the ISS Russian Segment development, its integration into the station and operational use, including development and utilization of the main Russian Modules (Zvezda, Pirs, etc.), manufacturing, launch and operation of the Soyuz and Progress space vehicle.
- Progress M-66 is the first Russian cargo vehicle, which was launched to the ISS in this year, and the 32th space vehicle under this International Project.
- Progress M-02M and and Progress M-67 are currently being assembled and tested at S.P. Korolev RSC Energia factory.